WASHINGTON – Rhode Island had the third-largest year-over-year decline in its unemployment rate in the nation (and the largest in New England) in September, according to U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data released Friday. The Ocean State’s 4.2 percent jobless rate on a seasonally adjusted basis represented a 1.1 percentage point decline from its unemployment rate in September 2016, when it was 5.3 percent. Alabama led the nation with a 2.2 percentage point decline over the year, followed by Tennessee, with a drop of 1.9 percentage points. Florida and Wyoming also had 1.1 percentage point declines over the 12-month period.
Rhode Island’s 4.2 percent rate, however, placed near the bottom of the pack in New England, which is led by New Hampshire’s 2.7 percent rate and followed by Vermont’s 2.9 percent. Maine had a 3.7 percent jobless rate in September, while Massachusetts’ rate was 3.9 percent. Only Connecticut had a higher unemployment rate in New England than Rhode Island for the month, at 4.6 percent. The national unemployment rate is 4.2 percent.
The civilian labor force in Rhode Island grew 0.5 percent from September 2016 to last month to 554,995, according to the BLS. The rest of New England saw labor force growth as follows:
- Connecticut – increase of 1.3 percent to 1,913,839
- Maine – increase of 1.5 percent to 705,242
- Massachusetts – increase of 2.3 percent to 3,669,704
- New Hampshire – decline of 0.05 percent to 750,188
- Vermont – decline of 0.2 percent to 344,687
At the same time the BLS reported that the Ocean State showed a 0.7 percent decline from August to September in the number of people employed in the state, falling to 495,100 from 498,000. New Hampshire also showed a 0.7 percent month-over-month employment decline, falling to 678,000 from 683,000. In a separate measurement, Massachusetts was among the states with the largest year-over-year increases in employment, climbing 1.7 percent to 3,575,400 in September.
Broken down by major employment groupings, Rhode Island experienced a mixed bag of year-over-year employment changes.
- Construction – increase of 13.7 percent to 20,800 jobs
- Leisure & hospitality – increase of 4.3 percent to 61,900
- Manufacturing – increase of 2.8 percent to 41,100
- Trade, transportation & utilities – increase of 1 percent to 77,200
- Education & health services – increase of 0.5 percent to 106,700
- Government – decline of 0.3 percent to 60,800
- Professional & business services – decline of 2.1 percent to 64,600
- Financial activities – decline of 3 percent to 32,600
